UFC's Martin Kampmann: I get punched in the face too many times as slow starter

INDIANAPOLIS – As you’d expect, Martin Kampmann said he and Carlos Condit are improved versions of themselves leading into UFC Fight Night 27.

But there’s a key difference Kampmann (20-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC) points to when he talks about the fighter he was when he first fought and beat Condit (28-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) four years ago and the one he is today.

“I think I’m better mentally now than then,” he said in advance of his headliner on Wednesday at Indianapolis’ Bankers Life Fieldhouse. “Especially in my last couple of fights, I haven’t been prepared mentally.”

The event’s main card airs live on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on FOX Sports 2 and Facebook.

Mental preparation is a term often thrown around by fighters as they get closer to a bout, and it’s sometimes difficult to figure out what exactly they mean. While just about everyone agrees that you need a unique mentality to step into a cage and fight another human being, training one’s mind is a task that can take on dozens of different techniques, all or none of which might work before and during the actual contest.

Kampmann has been a professional fighter for 10 years and been in the UFC for seven of those, during which he’s repeatedly been called one of the best in the promotion’s welterweight division. But the ultimate symbol of achievement – a title shot – has eluded him despite several impressive runs.

In his most recent bout, Kampmann stood poised to earn a title shot against current 170-pound champion Georges St-Pierre when he fought Johny Hendricks at UFC 154. But in less than a minute, he was knocked out.

Kampmann, who took time off afterward to recover from a knee injury, admits that he’s been far too relaxed in the early stages of a fight, and said the focus of his mental training is making sure he’s ready to go from the opening bell. It’s a strategy he feels will not only lead him to more success, but also pay dividends with his health as he heads into the latter part of his career.

“I haven’t been ready for the game,” he said. “I’ve been a slow starter that had to get punched way too many times in the face before I started fighting. When I fought Jake Ellenberger, I got knocked down from the get-go and came back and knocked him out, but sometimes, you don’t get that comeback. Even if you do, it’s not a healthy way to fight in the long term.

“So I feel mentally better and ready to fight from the get-go instead of having to get knocked down first.”

If Kampmann again beats Condit, he’ll retain bragging rights over the former WEC champ and onetime UFC title challenger, whose UFC debut was spoiled by the loss four years ago. But he’ll once again be poised to fulfill the dream that’s eluded him.

“Condit’s one of the best guys in the welterweight division, so of course, it’s a big challenge,” he said. “But I feel confident I’ll beat him. I beat him before. I don’t put too much into the first fight. This is a different fight, but I feel very confident I’ll beat him again.

“I’ve got five rounds to get the finish, and I feel confident I’ll get it.”

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